It is a well-known fact that humans have a fascination with tragedy, evidence of this being our need to slow down and look at car accidents, or the fact that most of our newspaper headlines have a tendency to portray sad and horrific stories. There are psychological justifications for this. Our need for reassurance making us want to learn all details of a tragic situation so we can convince ourselves that we would be able to survive it is one of many other explanations.
Despite this, I have a strong belief that being an optimist is not only the better option, but also a choice we can make, and an attitude we are biologically predisposed to have despite our curiosity about morbid aspects of the world.
I am a recovering pessimist.
Why? I realized being optimistic makes more sense. My father always says that humanity is in constant progression for the better, and that in turn means that right now is humanity’s best moment. Of course, we still have millions of problems to solve, and we are nowhere near perfection, but it is undeniable that we are in a better place compared to the time of the Black Death or the Second World War.
We are also psychologically programmed to be happier. An example of this is the fact that mildly positive memories are stored more securely than mildly negative ones, meaning we are predisposed to remember happier moments as opposed to sad ones, which makes us happier in the long term. Further evidence of this is the fact that laughing is contagious - if you see two people laughing about a joke you didn’t hear, you will probably smile anyway, and there is growing proof that smiling not only demonstrates happiness, but also causes it as well.
Simple things such as staying hydrated, eating healthier, having a stable sleeping cycle and exercising are also proved to boost mood and productivity, in addition to increasing your lifespan. So with all of these factors working in your favour, why not go that extra mile and put in a little bit of effort yourself? You might be closer to being happy than you imagine.